Housing option for upperclassmen on housing scholarship

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>UA Honors dorms are great, no doubt, especially if you have a housing scholarship. But after 2 or 3 years many of these students desire a change.</p>

<p>Now that the Bluff Apts. option (which allowed UA students with housing scholarships to apply that money to the rent and then pay the difference) is gone, I’m wondering if there are any other housing options but the honors dorms for scholarship students seeking a change. </p>

<p>I’m also wondering if these juniors and seniors with housing scholarships DON’T move out of the honors dorms, where UA is going to find room for the increasing number of incoming freshmen with housing scholarships.</p>

<p>Honors housing is going to get tight unless UA starts raising the bar for this scholarship. Or maybe they’ll have those new dorms on the west side finished soon?? </p>

<p>Unfortunately that still wouldn’t help my daughter who is getting antsy for a new place. You freshmen parents get ready. The bug gets them all sooner or later. My daughter’s 3 roommates, also scholarship students in Fellows and/or CBHP all feel the exact same way. I may just have to spring for a nice living arrangement that senior year:) </p>

<p>Thanks, Bikedad</p>

2

<p>Now that the Bluff Apts. option (which allowed UA students with housing scholarships to apply that money to the rent and then pay the difference) is gone,</p>

<p>Just to clarify…we didn’t have to pay the difference if choosing the 3 bedroom option (and we were never charged extra for the 2 bedroom option -which may have been an oversight). However, you do have to pay for the summer…**IF you’re not graduating or doing a summer abroad <a href=“actually,%20the%20thought%20of%20paying%20for%20summer%20rent%20made%20going%20abroad%20more%20affordable.”>/B</a></p>

<p>Has there been an announcement that The Bluff is no longer available for the NMF scholarship? Can you post that announcement?</p>

<p>If it’s true, then more housing scholarship-holding upperclassmen will be in honors dorms for all 4 years. That means less non-housing scholarshp holders will be in honors dorms for years 2-4. That’s where the change will occur. The scholarhip-holders will still have access as long as they book on time.</p>

<p>For those who don’t want to stay on campus, they will just have to give up their housing scholarship…a pretty pricey choice that not many families will agree to. We’re paying about $7k per year for son’s apt. If we didn’t have to pay it, we wouldn’t.</p>

3

<p>It’s non-negotiable in my house. And D knew that going in. Considering that the honors dorms are way nicer than my first married apartment, unless D decides to work to pay for the apt. it’s not going to happen. </p>

<p>The only kids with housing scholarships are the NMF’s, right? That’s only about 500 total sophomore-senior kids eligible anyway. You have to figure that the freshman would all be in the dorms no matter what.</p>

4

<p>^^^</p>

<p>The Academic Elite, the NA, and the remaining NH students all have housing scholarships. </p>

<p>As you said, the space concern is only for those who are soph - seniors. I think that’s going to be accomodated by making it more difficult for non-scholarship holders to get honors dorms for those later years.</p>

<p>I agree. The honors dorms are much nicer than many apartments.</p>

<p>Some may want to try to choose the 2 bedroom option (and pay more) for a more intimate and quiet experience.</p>

<p>There really aren’t any significant benefits to moving off campus…the commuting time can be a big negative.</p>

5

<p>The National Alumni Association Crimson Scholarships also cover housing. I think there are only an average of 8-12 awarded each year, so that’s not a huge number of students. There are only 8-10 Academic Elite scholarships given each year, so again, small number compared to the NMFs, NAs, and remaining NHs.</p>

<p>But considering this freshman class had 182 NMFs, that’s a lot of honors housing scholarships.</p>

6

<p>Yes, the Bluffs are gone…:(</p>

<p>Correct me if I am incorrect but that is what I’ve learned as well.</p>

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<p>Do you think pulling the Bluffs has to do with the new dorm building that is planned to open next summer?</p>

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<p>Can kids not on the housing scholarship live at the bluffs junior and senior years?</p>

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<p>All of Riverside will be an honors dorm next year.</p>

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<p>Yes, DS knew going in that he’d be using the housing portion of his scholarship for all four years - but I think that in the back of his mind he was seeing the leased apartments as a possibility for his junior or senior years. However, if they’re gone, they’re gone.</p>

<p>He has really found it convenient living on-campus in the Honors dorms, and (as others have commented) those are nicer than some apartments my husband and I lived in after we graduated and had jobs. Believe me, both DS and his parents are sooo grateful for that housing allowance. I think his main issue is going to be finding other upperclassmen to live with that also have housing scholarships.</p>

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<p>^^^^That is the issue D is worried about, even though this is only her first year. Finding girls that she know who plan to stay in the dorms is proving to be difficult. She really doesn’t want to have future freshman as roommates after her experience so far. We may pay the difference in going with a double if she can’t find 3 new roommates.</p>

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<p>NMx, I think there are quite a few upperclassmen who would be happy to remain in honors housing all four years. Since your son will have the guaranteed housing he just needs to start looking early and pull them in at first chance.
I agree, in DSs current experience the upperclassmen rooming with freshmen thing is not ideal. No reason to put yourself through their “first timer” adjustment period.</p>

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<p>There are probably enough upperclassmen here on CC to fill a few suites (boys and girls) they probably even know each other through Honors/CBH/UFE, we could start a list. :slight_smile: PM’ing might be best.</p>

14

<p>I’m starting to get the impression that on campus housing will be tight for rising sophomores in honors housing that are not on housing scholarship. Unfortunately, you won’t get a true read on the situation until at least February 1, which may limit off campus options. Are others feeling this dilemma and how are you dealing with it?</p>

15

<p>I don’t know, this was a concern last year and I’m not aware of any honors students who didn’t get a room, in fact some spaces were still empty when fall started.
Guess we’re just going to worry about that if it happens. There will have to be a plan in place to handle any overflow.</p>

16

<p>I think the supply/demand dynamics have changed significantly from last year:</p>

<ol>
<li>Bluffs no longer an option for NMF housing scholarship.</li>
<li>More freshmen in honors housing 2011.</li>
<li>Likely even more demand for honors housing in 2012 for incoming freshmen if expected trends continue.</li>
</ol>

<p>Note that they intentionally leave spaces empty (blocked) for incoming freshmen.</p>

17

<p>It will be easier to find housing scholarship students to live on campus with since they won’t be going to The Bluff.</p>

<p>It was easier for honors students to get oncampus housing in the past because The Bluff option was there. Now that that is gone, the whole situation has changed.</p>

18

<p>Just out of curiosity, if the space is needed to allow upperclassmen to remain in on-campus housing, why has The Bluff option been eliminated? Frankly, one of the things my D likes best about Bama is the honors housing, and if she knew that it would not be available after freshman year, I know it would affect her decision on whether to attend. She wants to remain on campus for at least a couple years.</p>

19

<p>Just out of curiosity, if the space is needed to allow upperclassmen to remain in on-campus housing, why has The Bluff option been eliminated?</p>

<p>the Bluff is not “on campus housing”. It is not within an easy walking distance at all.</p>

<p>Not sure what your concern is. Are you concerned that those WITHOUT housing scholarships may not be able to stay on campus for a few years? The school loses money by having NMFs at The Bluff. They’re not going to keep that benefit just to allow more non-scholarship holders to stay on campus. </p>

<p>* Frankly, one of the things my D likes best about Bama is the honors housing, and if she knew that it would not be available after freshman year, I know it would affect her decision on whether to attend. She wants to remain on campus for at least a couple years. *</p>

<p>1) What scholarship does your D have?</p>

<p>2) If your D doesn’t have a housing scholarship, then your D may not really know at this point, what she’ll want after frosh year. Many quickly realize that for the same amount of money they can live at The Retreat which is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH nicer.</p>

<p>3) If your D does have a housing scholarship, then she will be able to stay on campus.</p>

<p>3) Upperclassmen can STILL choose to live at The Bluff, it just won’t be free to those with housing scholarships anymore.</p>

<p>4) Bama has probably “done the math.” The new dorm that is opening in the Fall will provide some relief. Rose Towers never seemed to be fully occupied so the new dorm more than makes up for its loss. When the tornadoes hit last April, Bama was able to immediately move affected faculty/people into Rose Towers, so that dorm must have had vacancies. </p>

<p>5) If Riverside will be “all honors” then that will also offer relief.</p>

<p>.</p>

20

<p>Guess the main concern of Beth’s Mom, myself and others here is that non-NMF honors students wishing to stay on campus after freshman year are no longer guaranteed a spot. This was definitely a question asked prior to enrollment for many, (it was for us) and if the answer has now changed it’s a whole different ballgame. For lack of a nicer term it’s bait and switch. Doesn’t mean UA is doing anything malicious, just seems like the new facts.
It’s nice to say that many choose to move off campus but that is a far cry from not having a choice. The Retreat may be MUCH nicer but that involves a commute and if I recall from last year’s discussion, reservation far prior to the housing choice time in March/April.
I’m hoping the changes with the new dorm and all-honors Riverside solves the issue. Until then this is all speculation, until I receive something FROM the university saying this might be an issue then I guess we shouldn’t worry. FWIW my son hasn’t heard anything about this, I think sometimes we’re too well-informed on here.</p>

<p>UA has always worked any issue we’ve had out so far, counting on them being aware of this issue.</p>